Make Rwandan institutes leaders in infectious disease prevention, diagnosis and control

We enable RBC and UR/CHUK, as sustainable drivers of change in infectious diseases and antimicrobial research, to create optimized diagnosis, molecular surveillance and control or elimination of infectious diseases; to implement antimicrobial stewardship strategies and develop a platform for local vaccine production and regulatory oversight, and to inform policy for improved health equality in Rwanda.  Through our 5-year Rwanda programme we contribute to sustainable control and reduced burden or elimination of infectious diseases, incl. those that disproportionally affect poor and vulnerable populations. Our interventions focus on facilitating affordable, accessible, high-quality diagnostic services for all. The programme encompasses the 'leave no one behind’ principle and contributes to the Health-, Education- and Equity-related SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. Therefore, we need appropriate, evidence-based clinical case management, and strong capacity for surveillance and prevention of communicable diseases. Two Rwandese partners (RBC and UR/CHUK) and ITM will work together to strengthen the scientific capacity that enables Rwandan scientists to analyse high-quality diagnostics- and surveillance data, so that our partners reach excellence in public health research with a societal impact benefitting the country's populations, and beyond. We will enable RBC and UR/CHUK to become sustainable drivers of change in research, surveillance, control and elimination of tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and antimicrobial resistance. At the tertiary hospital (CHUK), we develop scalable antimicrobial stewardship strategies that, after roll-out to district hospitals, will contribute to the containment of AMR. Therefore, the programme supports molecular platforms development at RBC, as well as synergies and networking activities to promote south-south collaboration on diagnosis and molecular surveillance of infectious diseases, and training of technical and health staff, MsC and PhD students, clinicians and veterinarians to be trained. Furthermore, the programme wants robust and sustained connections with healthcare authorities to be in place, to translate research findings into policy and practice. Lastly the programme aims to elaborate a road map to establish an African hub for mRNA vaccine development.